Door closer



Oce. 7. 1924. 1,511,020

A. EORCHART DOOR CLOSER Filed June 1923 A.. Barchart 'k aan? www'abbina! Patented Get. 7, i924.

unirse sr TES terrore' PATENT" OFFICE.Y

' noon CLOSER.

Application filed .Tune 4,

T0 all 'tv/'tom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ARTHUR BoRcHART,

Va citizen of the United States, residing lat Centralia, in the countyof Lewis and State of llashington, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Door Closers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is a devicel for automatically closing the doors ofautomobiles, the object being to provide a simple and efficient devicewhich will operate positively to close the door when the same isreleased so that damage now frequently resulting from moving anautomobile while the door is open will be avoided. Due to carelessnessor inattention, it frequently happens that the door of an automobile isleft open and the vehicle is moved about in a garage or is driven alonga road or street without the door being closed and the laterallyextending door is brought into violent Contact with some object so thatserious damage results. My invention provides a simple means which willbe covered by the upholstery of the door and which will operatepositively and efficiently to close the door automatically whenever itis released after being opened. One embodiment of my invention isillustrated in the accompanying drawing and will Abe hereinafter fullyset forth.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of an automobile showing myimproved closer applied to the door thereof;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

The automobile 1 may be of any welllmown form and the door 2 issupported on the body of the vehicle by hinges, indicated at 3, in theusual manner. In carrying out my invention, I provide a groove or recess4 in the edge of the door opening and within the said recess I fit asocket member 5 adapted to receive a ball 6 upon one end of a rod 7. Theball is retained within the socket member 5 by a cap plate 8 secured byscrews or similar devices 9 to the edge of the door opening over thesocket member 5 so that the same fastening devices will secure thesocket member rigidly in place. The cap plate is, of course, providedwith a central vopening having a beveled edge to fit around the ball sothat, while the ball 1923. Serial No. 643,417.

may move freely within lthe socket member, 1t cannot drop out of placeand will consequently maintain the rod 7 in operative po-V sition at alltimes. il hub or sleeve meml' ber 10 extends from one side of the socketmember 5 and coincides with the groove 4" to bridge said groove andthereby retain'the rod therein, the covering or upholstering 13 of thedoor extending over the said groove and the parts cooperatin therewith,as will Ibe readily understood. he end of the rod 7 remote from the ball6 is formed into a hook 14 with which is engaged one end of a threadedrod 15 forming a part of a turnbuckle, the turnbuckle being completed bya link 16 and avsecond threaded rod 17 which is fitted in the end of thelink 6 alined with the threaded rod 15. r1 he rod 17 is constructed witha hook 18 with which is engaged the terminal of a coiled spring 19 whichhas its opposite terminal engaged .in an eye 20 secured to the side ofthe door frame which carries the lock.

It will, of course, be understood that the ball 6 and the socket 5 aredisposed eccentric to the pintles or pivots of the hinges 3vConsequently, when the door is opened and swung outwardly, the spring 19is placed under an increased tension so that immediately upon ,releaseof the door the spring will contract and thereby impart a closingmovement to the door. The turnbu-ckle permits the normal tension of thespring to be easily adjusted so that the door may be fully closed or maybe merely held closed but unlatched so that violent slamming of the doorwill be avoided. In either event, however, the tension of the springshould be such as to maintain the door normally within the lines of therunning board or wheel guards so that, if the vehicle should be movedabout while the door is unlatched, the door cannot come in contact withadja cent objects and be thereby damaged.

My device is exceedingly simple and may be applied at a low cost to anyautomobile now in existence vor which maybe hereafter produced. It maybe applied to the door without any substantial structural changestherein and, when applied, will be covered lby the lining or upholsteryof the door so that it /Willnot be unsightly and not be apt to catch inthe clothing of an occupant ot the vehicle.

Having thus described :the invention, What is claimed as new is:

1. The combination With a vehicle body, and a door hinged thereto, of arod mounted for universal movement upon the body eccentric to the doorhinges and extending across the side ofthe door at the hinged endthereof, a contractile spring attached to the `lat-ch end of thedoor,and an eXtensible connection between said spring and said rod, thespring, the rod and the connection being always in alinement.

y"2, The combination 'With a .Vehicle body,

and a door hinged thereto, of a socket member fitted in the bodyeccentric vto the `door hinges, a rod extending across the side of thedoor at the hinged end thereof, a ball on one end ofsaid irod seating insaid socket member, a cap plate secured over said sockj et member andengaging around the ball, a contractile spring attached to the latch endof the door, means Jfor holding the rod to the door and an adjustableconnection between said spring and said rod, the rod, the spring and theconnection being always in alinement.

ln testimony whereof l affix ,my signature.

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